The core members of the Abyss Guild spent the next few hours basking in the sun and occasionally pulling up some fish. Thankfully, my worst fears were avoided and the fish, at least the ones that were near Pandora, were familiar species and not eldritch sea monstrosities. I’m not sure what I’d do if we somehow managed to fish up some Innsmouth mutants or the like. Eh, who am I kidding, I could see our evil guild BBQing those fish people and eating them no problem.

  I had thought that the activity of sitting around waiting for a fish to bite wouldn’t be all that stimulating for the twins, but they took to it quite well. Apparently, the prospect of catching a seemingly unlimited supply of food sat well with them, and they were used to lying still from their time as scouts. In fact, we had to all but confiscate their fishing equipment once Vadeem had become too waterlogged.

  “I’m amazed how much you two can enjoy fishing,” Yoona remarked with a smile, “It’s the first time I’ve seen both of you so invested.”

  “It’s free food,” Eva said, her voice sounding less awkward as she continued to use it, although both she and her sister were still rather taciturn. “We never had a chance to catch so much food before.”

  “We want to help out,” her sister added, “We can’t rely on big muscle and Walter for everything. We will help out and grow stronger.”

  “They’re growing up so fast…” Noel mumbled.

  “Speaking of,” I said, “Does anyone know how old they actually are? I thought they’d be like, 10 or something, but they look a lot older after that Admin guy did his magic.”

  And it was true. Ana and Eva were still short, and as far as I could tell, hadn’t gone through puberty yet, but that could be because of the awful nutrition that they’d had growing up and not because they were simply too young. However, where they were puny before, they’ve grown remarkably in the few weeks that have passed, and now I really couldn’t tell their age. It could be anything from around 12 to 16.

  “Right,” Vadeem muttered, “That’s been on my mind as well. I keep treating them as small children, but they’re both remarkably mature.”

  “We should be able to check now,” Jae-Hyun said before turning to one of the two: Eva by the looks of it. “You should have access to something called a status screen now, right?”

  She nodded.

  “What’s displayed under ‘age’?”

  “Thirteen,” Eva answered.

  “Same here,” her sister added.

  “Well there you have it,” the Regressor shrugged. “A little older than I first thought, but within the range I expected.”

  “That’s not too much younger than you, Yoona,” I added, “Hard to believe.”

  “Hm,” Vadeem grumbled, “Carol’s around their age, but...” He shook his head, much to the rest of our annoyance as our platform swung around. “They need to eat more. Let’s make sure they grow up properly.”

  Noel rolled her eyes. “There’s his dad instincts kicking in again.”

  “Thank you big muscle,” Ana said. “We will eat a lot to grow strong.”

  “And help out with the family!” Eva added. “We owe Walter a lot.”

  I chuckled awkwardly. It felt weird to be praised for something I hadn't done, and I felt a pang of guilt every time those two looked at me with reverent eyes. Stupid guilt!

  “Speaking of food,” Vadeem said, “I think it’s about time we make it back to shore and cook up some of that fish! Sun’s about to set soon, and it’s perfect weather for some grilling! I got just the seasoning prepped as well! Better get back before I turn into a prune.”

  “Oh, we can use Walter’s lightbulb head if it does get dark! I got some tin foil I can wrap him in so all the light gets focused like a beacon!” Noel exclaimed. “My little bro’s got a skill for everything!”

  “It is not a lightbulb! It’s a halo!”

  Noel shrugged. “Whatever you say, lightbulb bro!”

  I sighed and chose to ignore her. I have no idea how Vadeem handles her every day, but I don’t envy the man, that’s for sure. But aside from Noel’s usual banter, the rest of us made it back on shore without incident, a rare occurrence given my luck. Hell, I was half expecting us to accidentally stumble upon some ancient underwater ruins or the like. It was strange not having to fight for your life at every turn.

  The rest of the night passed by just as blissfully uneventful. Peacefully even. Vadeem had fired up the grill and prepped all of the various species of fish that we had caught, while the twins helped out as much as they could. Heck, the man must have made over a dozen fish dishes by the time the sun had set, and we had bloated ourselves on food. The evening was spent in peace just fooling around and playing some board games and charades by the light of my lightbul- er, halo.

  Honestly, I wished we could have spent more time as a group, just enjoying the quiet moments in life, but alas, we were forced to cut our vacation short on the second day. The influx of new Aspirants meant that Jae-Hyun - and us by association - were needed back in Pandora, and for good reason this time. According to the Regressor, it was about time that Central introduced the next annoyance our way.

  All of that meant that the core of the Abyss Guild was back in our old office, ready for another meeting that would determine the fate of everyone present.

  “I’ve mentioned it before,” Jae-Hyun began, “But the people at Central will make a new announcement in the coming days about how each city-state will continue to progress. The first thing on the agenda would be to select the city representative.”

  “That’s like, the dude responsible for making all the choices here?” Noel asked. “Like the mayor?”

  “Not quite,” the Regressor answered, “It’s more like a king or emperor than a mayor. Whoever’s selected will have unlimited control of Pandora’s future development as long as they are elected. Of course, none of the residents know the full extent of the power that the representative will have, but let me assure you that the power is near absolute for the citizens.”

  “So like a super dictator then,” I muttered, “I’m guessing we’ll need to secure that position at all costs?”

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  Jae-Hyun nodded. “At all costs. Our survival depends on it. In my… past.” He paused, making sure that we knew what he was talking about. “The leader was incompetent. We lost half our population in the next Trial, and it went all downhill from there before we were ultimately assimilated into another city-state. That future was not pleasent, to say the very least.”

  “Yeah…” Vadeem added. “Let’s avoid that at all costs.”

  “Agreed,” I muttered.

  “Which means,” Jae-Hyun continued, “we need one of us to secure that position.”

  Noel raised her hand. “All in favor of letting our timelord be the leader?”

  I nodded. “Yeah, no disagreements here.”

  “There’s no need to rock the boat now,” Vadeem grunted, “Jae-Hyun’s done us solid so far. And now that I think about it, he’s probably the most experienced one here, what with two lives and all.”

  “I am in favor as well,” Marcus added with a creepy smile.

  The twins gave us a thumbs up. “Agreed.” “Yes.”

  Yoona clapped. “Then it’s settled, we need to ensure that my brother is elected!”

  I frowned. “Wait, you weren't kidding when you said it's an actual elected position? Not like some kind of competition or reward for doing well?”

  “Nope,” the Regressor answered. “It’s done the same way as any normal government official. Well, the voting is in any case, how we campaign is a lot different than the norm. It's just a farce made for the entertainment of the sick bastards in charge.”

  “I’m guessing anything goes when it comes to influencing voters?” I asked, even though I was already sure of the answer. “Not sure ethics is too big a concern for the people running these Trials, huh?”

  “Correct.”

  “Alright, so what’s the plan?”

  The Regressor stopped to look at each of us again. “I’ll say it again, but it is imperative that we acquire this position. My ability to predict how things transpire from here on out will be… inaccurate to say the least. Too many things have changed, so having access to a solid foundation is more important than ever. It is without exaggeration to say that our future depends on this.”

  “Yeah, unpredictable is right,” Vadeem grumbled. “I’m guessing Walter’s new deal with that Administrator guy wasn’t part of the plan.”

  Yoona winced and gave me a pitying look.

  “Sorry,” Vadeem muttered, “Didn’t mean to bring that up again.”

  I shrugged. “What’s done is done, it’s fine.”

  Jae-Hyun nodded, trying his best to seem unphased by the new revelations, but I could tell that he was worried. “Anyway, what I mean is that aside from the Trials that every Aspirant will go through, and general information about the Main Stage, I am blind going forth. I won’t know the best moves, so please, if you have any input on the operations of this guild or Pandora, say them. I welcome your opinions.”

  “Oh oh!”

  Jae-Hyun glared at the redhead. “Serious opinions, please. This involves the survival of everyone present.”

  Noel pouted. “Man, that’s no fun. Fine, I guess even I can be serious every now and then… but don’t expect it outside this office!”

  “Oh thank god,” Vadeem said, rolling his eyes, "But we have no suggestions right now. You still know the most so far, boss."

  “Thank you,” the Regressor continued, “Now for the first item on the agenda: our plan of attack for the upcoming elections.”

  “Let’s hear your thoughts on this first, guild leader,” Marcus said. “I believe you still have some insight about this upcoming event, even if the people involved have changed.”

  Jae-Hyun nodded. “The general idea is simple enough. I want Marcus, Yoona and I to go about things the normal way; meeting Aspirants, making promises, and altogether getting our names out.”

  “So win the hearts of the Aspirants. We can do that,” Yoona said. “The original members of Pandora already trust you to lead, and Marcus is a spiritual leader in his own right. We just need to ensure the new folk’s cooperation. It shouldn’t be too hard.”

  “I am forever ready to assist in the well-being of the flock.”

  “What about the rest of us?” I asked.

  The Regressor glanced over at his sister for a few moments as if weighing something in his mind. Ah, if I had to guess, he was deciding if it was finally time to get rid of the kids' gloves with her, Yoona was bound to face the harsh realities of Central’s Trials eventually.

  Yoona, as if she understood why her brother was hesitating, decided to speak up first. “Tell them what you need to, brother. I’ve not been blind about everything that you’ve not shown me. Look, I know that you mean the best, but…” She shook her head. “But we’re not on Earth anymore, and it’s not just about me. If we mess up - if I mess up - then it’ll be someone else cleaning up the mistake,” She turned to me and sighed. “Like what Walter did. I can’t do that to my friends because I was too indecisive or didn’t know the whole picture.”

  “It’s just…”

  She got up from her seat and stared at her brother hard. “I’m fine, Jae-Hyun. I’m a part of this Guild like everyone else. I won’t hesitate anymore, no matter what we need to do. I won’t lose anyone, not again. Never again.”

  Jae-Hyun shook his head, but I swore I could see a slight smile creep up his face as well. It disappeared quickly though. “You’re right, Yoona. You’re an adult now, and the Trials will only get harder from here on out. I… I’m sorry for omitting so much.”

  “It’s fine, brother. I know you did it for me, but I need to be fully invested now. I will do whatever it takes, not for me, but for everyone here.”

  Marcus decided to chime in as well. “I concur. I have spoken with the young lady at length, and I believe that it is for the best if she is told everything. She is ready.”

  A suppressed a shudder, remembering the last “private” conversation the Father had with that poor patient at Hope’s Memorial. Her brother didn’t seem to have the same concerns as myself. Honestly, was I the only one here creeped out by the bug priest?

  “Okay, then let’s continue.” Jae-Hyun took a drink of his water before addressing us again. “As I was saying, Yoona, Marcus, and I will be the face of the operation. I’ll hear your ideas once we get a good idea of the new Aspirants, but the goal is simple enough: sell the Abyss guild as the only option for survival. The twins can assist as well.”

  The named individuals nodded.

  “Which leaves Vadeem, Noel, and Walter,” he continued, turning his gaze to us. I couldn’t help but notice the slight hesitation in his voice. “My group should be enough to ensure our victory, but should isn’t good enough given the stakes. I need you three to find…” he quickly glanced at Yoona, but the teen was more than determined. “And eliminate anyone you believe will hinder our operations.”

  He paused again, waiting to see if his sister would object, but she didn’t. The girl only nodded slowly, as if she had already known that this was coming.

  Her brother breathed a sigh of relief before speaking again. “Noel will be in charge of finding anyone who fits that bill.”

  The redhead’s eyes turned crimson for a brief second before she smiled. Yeah, I had almost forgotten about her unique abilities there, but she’d find the worst bastards around.

  “And Walter,” The Regressor pointed at me. “I need you to work with her.”

  I frowned and pointed at myself. “Me?”

  “Yes,” he confirmed. “While I trust Noel’s abilities, I need your judgment on the finer details. Not every person marked by Noel will need… ‘drastic’ measures. We are still ultimately concerned about the overall strength of Pandora, so if you see anyone useful in that group, try to make them see reason.”

  I nodded slowly. “Yeah, find exceptional people and make ‘em see the light. I can do that.”

  Noel bounced up and smacked my back. “We’ll be partners in crime, little bro!”

  “Yay…”

  Vadeem chuckled as he saw my plight. “And what about me?”

  “I need you to take some of our other guild members and ensure that nothing goes wrong in the coming weeks. We can’t show any kind of weakness during this period of uncertainty. Use any method to ensure that we don’t run into trouble.”

  The big man grinned. “Security detail, my specialty.”

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